


The Next Day

by Saltcoats_Selkie



Series: Jasmine McKellar x Merula Snyde [2]
Category: Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Coming Out, Consensual Sex, Enemies to Lovers, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/F, Female Protagonist, HIV/AIDS Crisis, Homophobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, Internalized Homophobia, LGBTQ Themes, Male Rowan Khanna, POV Lesbian Character, Purebloods (Harry Potter), Secret Crush, Slytherin, Slytherin Pride
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:00:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24110221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Saltcoats_Selkie/pseuds/Saltcoats_Selkie
Summary: After finally admitting their mutual feelings of attraction, Jasmine and Merula are starting to get more and more comfortable around one another. Now they must struggle to nurture their budding relationship whilst navigating the many challenges of starting their fifth year at Hogwarts as well as the dangers of being outed as a lesbian couple in 1980s Britain.
Relationships: Merula Snyde/Original Female Character(s), Player Character & Merula Snyde, Player Character/Merula Snyde
Series: Jasmine McKellar x Merula Snyde [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1739608
Comments: 6
Kudos: 56





	The Next Day

**Author's Note:**

> An epilogue to my previous work, here I present a short glimpse into the lives of Jasmine McKellar and Merula Snyde on the day after their first night together. This will be my second ever fanfic, but my rewrite of the Hogwarts Mystery ‘First Date’ adventure was so well received that you’ve inspired me to keep going with this story. 
> 
> This chapter will cover the immediate aftermath of the way ‘Do you like me, yes or no?’ ended. Hopefully I can write some more short stories later exploring other aspects of Jas and Mer’s unfolding relationship. If you have anything that you really want to see them get up to, let me know in the comments. I have a few ideas but I’m open to suggestions.

* * *

####  _**Breakfast** _

* * *

Jasmine McKellar woke to the feeling of Merula Snyde’s warm arm wrapped around her. She could feel the hot air of her breath against her back and a smile curled up her lips before she finally peeled her eyes open. 

It was dark within the confines of her bed, but a flickering light penetrated a crack in her heavy velvet curtains. Hearing nothing but silence from the world outside, she slowly, carefully drew the curtains back an inch to reveal the room beyond.

Empty.

Opening the curtains wider, she peered up at the clock on her bedside table. It was nearly eight o’clock, which meant that she had managed to catch maybe two and a half hours of sleep since she and Merula had crawled into bed together at the crack of dawn. 

She and Merula. In bed together. Jasmine smiled wider.

It also meant that she was staring down the barrel of her second skipped breakfast of the term. And this time it was on a school day. This time, people would notice.

She groaned.

“Wha..?” came a mumbled question from behind her as her lover started to stir. 

Jasmine turned in time to catch the smile creeping across Merula’s face as she realised where she was. She shifted back down into the bed until the pair were laying face-to-face. 

“Good morning,” she whispered. 

“Good morning,” Merula strained against the last ebbs of sleep. “Did… did we really…?”

“Mmhmm.”

Merula bit back the wide grin that threatened to erupt across her face. She inched forward and pressed her nose against Jasmine’s.

Jasmine lost herself in Merula’s violet eyes as a tentative hand brushed against her thigh. Merula pushed forward with her head and Jasmine rolled onto her back to accomodate for her as she nuzzled closer.

“We’re late for breakfast…” she protested half-heartedly as Merula’s fingers played up and over her hip bone and across the soft skin beneath her belly. 

“Oh no…” Merula teased, nipping at her neck.

“I mean it Mer, I’m hungry.”

“Me too.”

Jasmine felt the gentle pressure of Merula’s fingers sliding down between her legs.

“Merula!”

Merula stopped. Pulling her hand away from Jasmine’s crotch and resting it on the bed between them.

“I’m sorry. Do… do you not want this?”

Jasmine closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She took a deep breath. The air was thick with the smell of their bodies, with a lingering hint of the scented bath water from the night before.

“No… I mean, I do.”

“So what’s wrong?”

“It’s just… people are going to start talking, Merula.” Jasmine brought herself up into a sitting position against her headboard, knees to her chest.

“Some of the girls saw me getting changed last night, and they must have noticed that you were missing too. Now neither of us show up for breakfast?”

“I thought none of that mattered to you anymore?”

“It doesn’t… It doesn’t but, what about you? 

Merula lifted herself up to sit beside Jasmine, leaning her body against her.

“Jasmine. I meant what I said last night. I can’t go back to the way things were. The way you make me feel, I… I want to be with you. In more than a dark corridor, abandoned stadium kind of way.”

“So… in a ‘skipping breakfast and possibly getting detention’ kind of way”?

“In a ‘not hiding it’ kind of way, Jasmine. Why are you being so weird about this?”

Jasmine sighed.

“Merula, when I wrote you that note in potions class last week, it felt like the whole school was talking about me.”

“And?”

“And that was just for a little note. If people find out we’re… lesbians…”

“People will talk. So what? Everyone already talks shit about us anyway.” 

“Because of our families… This is different, Merula. People could  _ hate _ us. People  _ will  _ hate us.”

“So what? A few people will hate us, what are they going to do about it? We’re the two most powerful witches in the school, Jas. You think anybody is going to dare mess with us?”

“Maybe not the students, but…”

Merula spun around so that she was sitting in the middle of the bed, facing Jasmine.

“I don’t get you, McKellar,” she said, a fire in her voice. “You come on all strong with your date ideas, you sneak us around the whole damn castle, you… fuck me. And now that I actually admit that I have  _ feelings _ for you, what? Suddenly it’s all too hard?”

“No! It’s not… fuck.” Jasmine could feel herself starting to panic. What was she saying? 

“Merula… listen to me. I do want to be with you. I do. I just… I want us both on the same page here. If we do this, for real…”

“We’re in it together, Jas. No matter what happens next, no matter how people react to finding out about us.”

“Exactly.”

“So we are on the same page,” Merula rolled her eyes.

“I guess so…”

“Then shut the fuck up and kiss me already.”

Jasmine took a moment to register what Merula had said. The adrenaline rushing through her blood clouded her thoughts as she slowly crept forward from her position at the head of the bed.

Coming to kneel in front of her lover, she let herself take in her surroundings at last.

Merula was sitting cross legged in front of her, completely naked save for a lacey set of black pants. Jasmine swallowed hard and reached out to help Merula up to her knees. 

Once they were on the same level, Jasmine scooted forward and pressed her skin into Merula’s in an echo of their first ‘hug’. She ran her hands up Merula’s thighs, over the delicate lace on her hips, up her waist and around her back. Sliding one hand up further to rest behind her neck, Jasmine moved in for a kiss.

The taste of Merula’s lips was intoxicating, and soon all thoughts of ever getting to breakfast faded from Jasmine’s mind. Feeling the softness of Merula’s skin brushing up against her was an exquisite ecstasy. 

Merula kissed her back, more aggressively, probing deeply with her tongue and reaching up to tease at Jasmine’s erect nipples, forcing a moan to escape her lips. Fuelled by the sounds of her satisfaction, Merula’s teasing grew more intense until finally she was pinching hard and twisting at her. Jasmine yelped, half in pleasure, half in pain. She broke off the sloppy kissing and pushed Merula down onto her back. Leaping forward, she straddled her lover.

With Merula now at her mercy she raked her blunt nails down over Merula’s ribs and across her flat stomach. Merula giggled and gasped, rocking her hips from side to side, trying to throw Jasmine off of her. She clawed up at Jasmine’s sensitive chest but Jasmine grabbed her wrists and quickly pinned her to the bed.

Merula struggled against her, her eyes burning with a fierce determination. Jasmine was much stronger than her slight companion though and held her position with ease. She leaned forward and kissed at Merula’s lips, her cheek, her neck, wherever she could find purchase on the writhing girl beneath her.

Jasmine dropped one knee down between Merula’s legs and pressed it up toward her centre. Merula gasped and ceased her struggling as she began to grind against Jasmine’s thigh. Jasmine quickly followed one knee with the other and pulled Merula’s hips flush against her own. Merula pushed up seeking the friction that had felt so good until her hot core planted firmly against Jasmine’s, sending a wave of pleasure rushing through the both of them. Jasmine arched forward slightly, rocking her hips up and down across her partner’s as she wrapped her hands beneath her and grabbed a hold of Merula’s pert bottom. 

Merula moaned as Jasmine’s fingers kneaded at her flesh. She reached up and grabbed a fistfull of hair, pulling her down for a ravenous kiss. Her fingers weaved their way through Jasmine’s mousy brown locks as they kissed each other passionately while they continued to rub themselves against one another. 

Jasmine’s body trembled as Merula’s fingers danced across her scalp. She groaned into Merula’s lips as the various sensations overtook her. The warmth of their bodies mingled in the space between them, insulating them against the cold of the Slytherin dungeon. She could feel pinpricks of sweat forming in the space between her shoulders. A wet patch was also seeping through her pants, mixing with the stain forming on Merula’s black lace.

Jasmine rocked backwards, kissing at Merula’s chest, letting her mouth glide across to one of her soft, white breasts. She could taste the salty sweat on Merula’s skin as she flicked her tongue up and down. Merula moaned softly as Jasmine licked and sucked at her sensitive nipples. As her sucking gave way to gentle nibbles and then small bites, Merula whimpered and wrapped her legs up around Jasmine’s back.

“Mer…”

“Mm?” 

Jasmine kissed down the centre of Merula’s body, shaking free of her entangled legs as she pushed lower. She came to a rest, her mouth poised just above Merula’s pubic bone. She looked up across the pale landscape of her crush’s body to meet her gaze.

Merula bit her lip and nodded, raising her hips toward Jasmine’s face and hooking her thumbs beneath the top of her pants, pulling them down and around her buttocks. Jasmine grabbed a hold of them and slid them the rest of the way up Merula’s legs before tossing them to the foot of the bed. 

Jasmine let Merula’s legs fall, the sparse hairs tickling her skin as they brushed against her on their way down to the bed. She took a moment to savour the sight of Merula splayed out in front of her. Her tousled orange and brown hair, her flushed white skin, her violet eyes pleading for Jasmine to begin. 

Jasmine nestled into the space between her lover’s thighs and let the sweet scent of her sex overwhelm her. She let her fingers drift through Merula’s neatly trimmed bush then glide across the folds of her flower. Moving her hands to Merula’s thighs and spreading her legs wider, she exposed more of the glistening mound between the girl’s legs. Merula trembled in anticipation of firmer contact as Jasmine edged her lips closer. 

“You look so beautiful,” Jasmine whispered.

“Um, thank you…”

Very slowly, Jasmine brought her tongue to Merula’s skin. She let it wander around the outer lips of her vulva for a short while before plunging deeper to lap at the shimmering wetness within. Jasmine felt a rush of blood flood to her own crotch as she quivered at the heady taste of Merula’s succulent cunt.

Jasmine nudged at Merula’s clit with her nose as she feasted on her tender flesh. She thought to herself that she had never tasted anything quite so divine. She even briefly entertained the idea of staying down between those legs forever. She would happily spend her entire life worshiping at that throbbing altar. 

She let her tongue sweep across Merula’s inner lips, swirling up and over her hood before circling back to the opening to her passage. Merula’s hands found their way to Jasmine’s head and pulled her closer as she pressed herself up into her mouth. Jasmine kissed and suckled at Merula’s engorged clit, taking her hood between her lips and tugging at it gently. 

Merula moaned, her hands clutching desperately at Jasmine’s hair and pulling it taught, causing a tingling sensation to creep up through Jasmine’s core. 

“Fuck,” she moaned into the junction of Merula’s thighs.

Jasmine started to settle into a more rhythmic pace as she let Merula’s steady thrusts guide her. 

Merula alternated between short whimpers and soft grunts as Jasmine circled her clit with an insistent pressure. She felt her body begin to shake as her back arched up and she kicked out her legs. Jasmine didn’t let up and soon Merula’s shuddering whimpers gave way to gasping pleas.

“Fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! Jasmine!”

Jasmine flicked her eyes up to watch Merula’s face contorting under the weight of the building euphoria. Merula slammed her fist against the bed, grabbing a handful of the linen sheets beneath them. Her whole body seemed to rock up and down against Jasmine’s tongue as she grew closer and closer to the crest of her orgasm.

“Fuck!” She cried out as it finally rolled through her. 

As Merula collapsed back into shivering bliss, Jasmine held her mouth in place against her, savouring the warmth of the thick cum that began to seep out from Merula’s hot core. She gripped Merula’s hips tightly as she writhed from side to side, trying to shake her loose. 

Eventually abating, she took a deep breath and settled her head against Merula’s thigh. Merula looked down at her with a love-drunk expression, her eye’s heavy and her mouth agape.

“Kiss me.”

Jasmine crawled up beside her old rival, locking lips and sharing the lingering sweetness that hung on her breath. She purred as she sunk into Merula’s arms.

“Yum,” she smiled.

Merula grinned.

“I didn’t know it felt that good…”

“Mmhmm.”

Jasmine propped herself up and let her fingertips wander across Merula’s velvety smooth skin.

“Merula, you really are beautiful, you know?”

Merula scrunched her face as she lifted herself onto her elbows and surveyed her scrawny frame. Her eyes drifted to the fading cut marks criss-crossing her thighs and she frowned.

“It’s just hard to see it sometimes… It feels like I’m so broken.”

Jasmine placed her hand lightly on Merula’s knee before turning over her wrist to reveal her own scars.

“If you’re broken Mer, then so am I. But when we’re together, things don’t feel so hopeless to me anymore.” 

“No… I guess I don’t feel so bad when you’re around, either.” 

Jasmine reached down and took Merula’s hand.

“Well then, let’s just stick together, okay?”

“I’d really like that, Jasmine.” 

Merula squeezed Jasmine’s hand tightly. Down by their feet, Jasmine caught a glimpse of the clock sitting on her bedside table.

“Oh fuck!”

“What is it?”

“We have to go! McGonagall’s going to crucify us.”

“I… strongly doubt that.”

“Whatever, let’s just try and get to class close to on time please?”

Merula sighed heavily as Jasmine rolled out of bed and onto her feet, slowly dragging herself after her. Jasmine was already sorting through the mess of clothes on the floor by her trunk, pulling together some semblance of a uniform.

She dumped most of the contents of her school bag out into her trunk and grabbed her Transfiguration textbook before swinging the lid closed.

Once the pair were both fully clothed and had gathered their things, Jasmine opened the door to Ember’s terrarium and stuck her hand inside, allowing her tarantula to run up her sleeve and into the safety of her robes.

“Okay, let’s go.”

* * *

####  _**Transfiguration** _

* * *

Merula and Jasmine walked into Classroom 1B bleary eyed and disheveled. Jasmine’s hair was an unruly rat’s nest and Merula’s robes were covered in creases, having spent the night stuffed into the bottom of her backpack. The pair attracted the stares of every single face in the room, but none more so than Professor McGonagall’s.

“Nice of you to join us, Miss McKellar, Miss Snyde.” McGonagall spoke in her curt deadpan manner. 

Jasmine had never quite understood why anyone would be any less scared of the towering Scotswoman than they were of Professor Snape. She chalked it up to just another aspect of the pervasive prejudice against her House.

“I trust that you both enjoyed your sleep-in this morning, despite the fact that it looks as though neither of you managed to get any sleep last night at all.”

A low rumble of laughter crept through the class before McGonagall shot it down with a stern expression.

“I will be deducting ten points from Slytherin for each of you due to your tardiness, and a further ten points between you for the shabby state of your uniforms. I really should be able to expect better from you Miss McKellar, a Prefect’s job is to set an example to her peers, not to hold them back.”

“I’m sorry Professor,” Jasmine looked to her toes, sheepishly.

“Perhaps you might set an example of how to find a seat without further disrupting my class.”

“Yes, of course Professor.”

Jasmine awkwardly found her way to two spare seats at a desk in the back row as McGonagall resumed her lecture on switch spells. She caught Rowan Khanna’s eye on the way through. Her friend looked as though he might keel over from second hand embarrassment at any moment.

Flashing Rowan an apologetic expression, Jasmine took her seat. Merula sat down in the seat beside her and the two witches quietly withdrew their supplies from their bags.

Despite the rocky start, Jasmine couldn’t help but smile through McGonagall’s lecture. She didn’t normally sit with Merula for anything but Potions, the sudden change in their dynamic was a pleasant one, even if it did draw a few sideways glances from their peers.

_ ‘That was not fun.’  _ Jasmine slid a note across to her deskmate.

_ ‘We’ve both had worse,’  _ came Merula’s reply.

_ ‘Not with such a big audience.’  _

_ ‘We’ll be okay.’  _

Jasmine looked around the class. About half a dozen other students would still turn to peak at them whenever they thought McGonagall might not notice.

_ ‘I hope you’re right.’  _

__

After class, Jasmine pushed past the crowd of people packing up their supplies and made her way up to the professor’s desk. 

“Professor McGonagall?”

“What is it Miss McKellar?”

“You’re not… you’re not going to report us to Professor Snape are you?”

“Hmm?”

“For ‘sleeping in’?”

“I’m not sure that would end well for either of you. Despite what you might think of me Miss McKellar, I do not wish to see your lives made miserable. The same I can not say for certain of your Head of House.” 

Merula joined Jasmine beside McGonagall’s desk as the rest of the class filed out of the room.

“Besides,” the professor continued, “I'm sure the points deductions I have made already are punishment enough. Just don’t let whatever this is interfere with your studies again.”

“You’re not going to give us detention or anything?” Merula aked, puzzled.

“Would you like me to?”

“No Professor,” she quickly snapped.

“Perhaps just some words of advice? I’m not going to tell you that what the two of you are doing is wrong, I have seen love express itself in a wide variety of ways in my time. I would however like to remind you that there are dangerous times for young witches and wizards like you. I know that the rumours are no doubt spreading already, but I would be very careful who you actually trust with the knowledge of precisely how intimate your new found friendship might be.”

“Yes, of course,” Jasmine blushed.

“Perhaps, to that end, Miss Snyde may find it useful to don her scarf before she attends to her next class…”

Merula’s hand shot up to her neck, too late to hide the evidence of last night’s activity from McGonagall’s shrewd gaze. Her cheeks flushed bright red as she shot Jasmine a dirty look.

Jasmine bit back a smirk and reached into her bag.

“Wear mine,” she said, tossing Merula her thick woolen scarf.

“Thanks…” Merula rolled her eyes as she wrapped the scarf over the trail of hickies Jasmine had left on her skin.

“Now run along dears, lest Slytherin lose any more points this morning for your tardiness.”

“Of course, thank you Professor.”

Jasmine grabbed Merula by the arm and headed for the door.

* * *

####  _**Care of Magical Creatures** _

* * *

“What the fuck, Jasmine?”

“What?”

“You just let me walk in there looking like I just lost a fight with a vampire.”

“I forgot…”

“You’ve been looking at me all morning, you didn’t notice?”

“I was… there were other things to look at.”

Merula laughed and shoved Jasmine playfully as the two girls hurried outside, then rushed through the grounds to meet with their Care of Magical Creatures class. 

As they arrived on the edge of the clearing, they stopped to neaten their robes and hair as best they could. Walking into the clearing where the class was being held, Jasmine quickly found Rowan and Liz among the crowd of students getting ready for the morning lesson and the pair pushed through to meet them.

“Good morning,” Rowan said. “Gosh, you two look like death warmed up.”

“Yeah… we didn’t catch a lot of sleep.”

A flash of pain crossed Rowan’s eyes.

“Hang on then,” he said, reaching into his bag. “Here, Invigoration Draughts, Penny brewed them for me since I’m always skipping on sleep to study, but it looks like the two of you might need them more than me today.”

“Oh, thanks Rowan.”

“Thank you, Khanna.”

The two graciously accepted the potions and drank them down in one go. 

“Cheers Ro,” Jasmine handed the empty bottles back to her friend.

“So the two of you are… together now, right?”

“Um, er…”

“We are,” Merula interjected.

Jasmine smiled.

“I knew it!” said Liz. “The way you rushed off last night Jas, and then Merula, you never came back from choir practice.”

“Very clever…” Merula said sarcastically.

“Did anyone else figure it out?” Jasmine asked.

“Well, the two of you did make quite an entrance this morning…” Rowan shrugged.

Suddenly, Charlie Weasley was at Rowan’s side.

“Who did what this morning?”

“Jasmine and Merula,” Liz said. “They were both late for Transfiguration this morning.”

“Jas and Merula?” Charlie said, puzzled. “Wait, Ro… it’s Merula?”

What’s Merula?” Jasmine looked across at Rowan.

“I was just saying…”

“What’s the problem, Weasley?” Merula growled.

“What’s the problem? Is she serious?” Charlie scoffed. “Do you mean besides the fact that you’ve been completely awful to us ever since we we first years?”

Merula scowled. “Oh, like you weren’t being awful to me? I have heard the way you talk about me behind my back, you know?”

Charlie narrowed his eyes.

“Fine, well then how about we just focus on the fact that you’re breaking my best friend’s heart?

Rowan quickly stepped between the two.

“Or maybe not? Charlie, just drop it.” 

“Drop it? I’m not the one that’s ditched you for a Death Eater, Rowan.”

“I haven’t…”

“I am  _ not _ a Death Eater!”

“Well the apple never falls too far from the tree, does it?”

“Charlie, please…” Rowan took his friend by the arm.

“Everything alright back here?”

The group looked up to see Professor Silvanus Kettleburn looming over them.

“Yes, sorry sir,” Charlie said before shrugging off Rowan’s hand and moving to the other side of the clearing that the professor used as his classroom.

“What was his problem?” Merula spat.

“I’m not sure…” Jasmine looked back to Rowan. “Rowan…?”

“It’s nothing Jas, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything to him.”

“What… What did you say?” Jasmine whispered as class began to start.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Jasmine frowned and dropped the subject. She could feel the small tugs of guilt growing inside her. Rowan  _ had _ said he was fine with her dating Merula though, right? What had gotten him acting so weird about it now. 

Slowly, Jasmine let the booming of Kettleburn’s lecturous voice drown out her worries. Jasmine and Merula were both naturals when it came to Care of Magical Creatures, and so working together made the class a walk in the park for the two witches.

“What’s up with your friends, Jas?” Merula asked as the pair grabbed some more food pellets from the storehouse.

“I’m not sure… I think maybe Rowan might still have a crush on me though.”

“Ew. But why’s that Weasley’s problem?”

“I don’t know. Rowan must have said something about it to him. I guess he’s gotten himself worked up about it, you know Gryffindors love jumping in to fight their friends’ fights for them.”

“Well he needs to mind his own business. They both do.”

“I know… But Rowan is still my best friend Mer. We should at least talk about it with him, right?”

“Whatever.”

“Mer…?”

“We need to feed the porlocks.”

“Afterwards?”

“Yeah, alright Jasmine, we’ll talk afterwards.”

Jasmine sighed and headed out to join the rest of the class.

The rest of the lesson passed by mostly without incident. The pair were still drawing quite a few stares from the other Slytherins, and a few of the Gryffindors now too, but no one spoke more than a whisper, and none were directed their way.

After class, Jasmine dragged Merula back to the storehouse and cornered Rowan as he was putting away some equipment.

“We need to talk, Ro,” Jasmine said sternly.

Rowan sighed as he closed the door on a large wooden cabinet and turned to face them.

“I’m sorry Jas. I didn’t know he was going to get like that”

“What do you mean? What did you tell him?”

Rowan sighed again, exasperated.

“Look, I know what I said yesterday. I meant it. I still do. I think it just really hit me while we were studying last night and I was having a hard time processing everything. Charlie saw that I was feeling down and wanted to help out.”

“And so now he hates me?”

“He doesn’t hate you. I only told him I was feeling jealous that you were heading out with someone else last night. Finding out your date was a girl, let alone the fact that it was Merula, no offence, it’s just a bit of a shock for him. He’ll come ‘round.”

“And where does that leave us? Have you ‘come ‘round’?” Jasmine asked. “You said you wouldn’t let your feelings get in the way of our friendship.”

“And I don’t want them to, I swear Jas. I know there’s no chance for us, I just need some time for my heart to catch up to my head.”

Jasmine crossed her arms.

“I’m sorry,” mumbled Merula.

“What?” Rowan turned to face her.

“I’m sorry. If I’ve ever said anything to hurt you. It was never because I actually believed what I was saying. You and Jasmine, you were always so close. I never even dreamed I had a chance with her. I’m… I’m sorry that you’re feeling that way now. I know how much it hurts.”

Rowan and Jasmine both stood there in surprise.

“Wow… um, thank you…” Rowan finally said. “That actually means a lot. Wow.”

Merula just stared at her feet.

“We should go, it’s nearly time for lunch and Jasmine and I haven’t eaten yet,” she finally said.

Jasmine snapped out of her stunned silence at the prospect of a proper meal.

“Now that sounds like a good idea. I’m sorry Ro… We'll talk later, okay?”

“Hmm? Yeah okay…” Rowan was leaning back against the wooden cabinet, still struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

“Okay…” Jasmine left the shed and joined Merula on the way back up to the castle.

* * *

####  _**Lunch** _

* * *

Merula threw her bag under the Slytherin table in the Great Hall and took her usual seat opposite Barnaby Lee and Ismelda Murk. Jasmine slid into a free space beside her and placed her bag at her feet. Her stomach growled as she surveyed the plate full of pies and pasties in the centre of the table. 

“Alright Merula, Jasmine,” Barnaby raised a glassful of juice to welcome them before Ismelda quickly elbowed him in the ribs. “What?”

Ismelda shook her head and focussed on the plate in front of her. 

“I… Ow!” Barnaby was once again cut short as he attempted to make conversation.

Jasmine warily grabbed a pastie from the platter in front of her. Ismelda’s eyes shot up and she gave Jasmine a wicked look.

“What?”

“What do you think you're doing?”

“Eating lunch?”

“Get your filthy fingers off our food.” Ismelda scowled.

“I think the food is for everyone, Murk,” Merula narrowed her eyes.

“Not this food.  _ This _ food is for respectable witches and wizards. Something neither of you can claim to be any longer.”

“What are you talking about?” Jasmine shook her head.

“Don’t play dumb, McKellar. You know exactly what I’m talking about. I know what you are, what you did last night.” 

“Wait, what did they do last night?” Barnaby asked, genuinely concerned.

“They’re queers, Lee. Dirty little lesbians. I saw them sneaking back to the common room at the crack of dawn, hands all over one another. Disgusting. Disgraceful.” She curled her lip. “And you call yourselves  _ pureblood _ ?”

“What did you just say?” Merula was on her feet before Jasmine could blink.

“You can’t honestly expect me to believe you two are really purebloods? A pair of dykes like you? It’s ridiculous. Your parents must have been half-bloods at best.” 

“You’d better watch your mouth, Murk,” Merula said, hand moving to her wand.

Jasmine leapt up beside her. She caught a glimpse of an eagle eyed Professor Snape at the head of the table, watching the scene unfold before him.

“Come on Mer, she’s not worth it.”

She grabbed their bags from under the table and handed Merula’s to her.

“That’s right, get lost, filthy mudbloods,” Ismelda smirked.

Jasmine picked up the neglected pastie from her plate and ran her tongue along the side before tossing it back onto the platter with the others.

“Enjoy.”

Taking Merula by the hand, she led her down the aisle towards where the quidditch team was sitting. 

“I’m going to kill her,” Merula spat.

“Just forget it,” Jasmine pleaded as they arrived at where her friends were seated. 

Skye Parkin met the pair with a welcoming smile.

“Happenin’ wee-uns?”

“Happenin’ Skye?” Jasmine sat down onto the bench across from her captain.

“Looks like the two of you are havin’ a rough morning of it?”

“You could say that, yeah.”

“How was your wee midnight quidditch match?”

“It was fucking freezing,” Merula shook her head.

“Aye, right. Well that explains the scarf then,” Skye chuckled.

Merula rolled her eyes.

“So the whole low profile thing we talked about…?”

“It’s just not our style…” Jasmine half-joked.

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“Not great.”

“Everyone hates us…”

“Aww come now, haud yer wheesht.”

“She’s right Skye, everyone’s been acting like right cunts this morning,” Jasmine shook her head, eyeing up a fresh pastie.

“Aye well, I did warn ye. Never fear though, I’ve something that will take your mind off of all that.”

“Please,” Merula groaned as Jasmine stuffed her face.

“Well Snyde, you know our seeker, Anastasia Rowle?”

“Of course…” Merula looked slightly offended. Rowle had been Slytherin’s seeker since Merula and Jas had been in first year.

“Well, Rowle’s in seventh year now, and her parents have been pushing her hard to drop out of the team so that she can focus on her N.E.W.T.s.”

“You’re not serious?” Jasmine nearly dropped her pastie. She looked over to Anastasia, who shrugged apologetically.

“You try telling my mum that quidditch practice is more important than landing a steady job, McKellar, I dare you.” 

“But you’re the best seeker we’ve had in years, Amari always said…”

“I know what he said, but he’s gone now. And has anyone heard of him getting signed anywhere? Trust me McKellar, Forget about me, I’m a lost cause.”

Merula frowned. “So… was this supposed to be good news, Parkin?”

“It is good news, Snyde! Don’t you see? It means we’ll be looking to recruit a new Seeker as well next week. Haven’t you always said you’d be the best Seeker in the school if anyone ever let you on the team?”

“Well… I mean,” Merula stammered.

“Hang on, I thought Higgs was in line to take over from Rowle when she left, he’s had his eye on that spot for years,” Jasmine butted in.

Terrance Higgs looked up from his lunch a few spots down the long table from them.

“I know, I know. But we still need to hold tryouts. And if Higgs does get Seeker, that just means we’ll have an extra Chaser spot to fill!” 

Skye smiled.

“So what do you say, Snyde? Your parents were some of the best players that Slytherin has ever seen. You must have  _ some  _ of that talent in your blood. Why not come out and show us what you’re made of?”

Merula’s eyes brightened at the rare compliment offered to her parent’s, but she shuffled uncomfortably in her seat.

“Um… I have Frog Choir, and we have our O.W.L. exams this year, not to mention Jas and I need to get a move on if we’re going to find the next Cursed Vault…”

“Alright, okay. I get it, it’s a lot of pressure. We’re no talkin’ first year flying lessons anymore. I’m just letting you know that the spot’s open if you want to have a go at it. It could be fun, a chance for the two of you to get to know each other a little more.”

“Thanks, Skye,” Jasmine gave her friend a weak smile.

“I’m only doin’ my job,” Skye smiled back.

Jasmine looked over at Merula, her skin was flushed pink. She put her hand on the other girl’s knee under the table.

“It’s okay Mer, no one’s going to force you to try out if you don’t want to,” she whispered.

“I know…”

“Well the invitation is there,” Skye said. “We haven’t finalized the roster with the other teams yet but I’ll probably post a notice in the common room once we set a date. Even if you just want to come and watch, hey?”

“Yeah okay…”

* * *

####  _**Astronomy** _

* * *

Jasmine pressed close against Merula in the throng of students heading across the bridge to the Astronomy tower.

“What was that all about?”

“She was only trying to be nice Mer, she thought you might want a spot on the team with us.”

“You and I both know that’s not about to happen. She was teasing me, just like everyone else does.”

“I don’t think so. I think she really believes you might have something in your blood. Besides, I’m not sure she knows any way to relate to anyone without making it about quidditch somehow. I think she might actually be warming to you.”

Merula thought for a moment.

“You promise?”

“I promise. She’s a good person, Mer. And I’m not just saying that because she’s my friend, or my captain… or Scottish. She means well.”

“Okay then. Do… do you think I should actually come to your tryouts then? My parents did  _ try _ and teach me a few things. I just… I never quite got the hang of it, and then suddenly they were gone. My broom got locked up in our old house and I never saw it again.”

Seeing that she was starting to get upset, Jasmine quickly cut her off.

“You don’t have anything to prove to me Mer. I still think you’re brilliant. I think you should come and watch, at least. It’s no world cup, but it’s a bit of a laugh. If you’re lucky you’ll probably get to watch a few second years falling off their brooms.”

Merula cracked half a smile.

“That  _ would  _ be kind of fun to see…” 

“There’s the Merula I know,” Jasmine clapped Merula on the back. “Come on, I need the bathroom before Astronomy, and you look like you could use a chance to freshen up.”

“Fuck off,” Merula lashed out but Jasmine was already two steps ahead of her, giggling as she hurried toward the girl’s bathroom.

By the time they reached the top of the tower, the two were once again the last of their classmates to arrive. Back with the Ravenclaws for their lesson with Professor Aurora Sinistra, their late arrival was heralded by a renewed wave of whispers and stifled laughter.

Fortunately the professor had not yet begun her opening lecture and so Merula and Jasmine simply slipped in and took a pair of seats at a desk in the back of the classroom.

Jasmine surveyed the class looking for her friends. Rowan had his head down in his spot in the front row. Liz sat beside him, flipping through her class notes, getting ready for the inevitable recap of their previous year’s practical classes. Andrae Edwu sat beside Badeea Ali, occasionally stealing glances at them from across the room.

Tulip Karasu seemed to be the one giving them the most attention. She seemed to be working up to something, and sure enough, not long after the professor’s opening lecture, she picked up her things and made her way over to sit at the desk beside them.

“I can’t believe you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Really?” 

“What is it?”

“It’s Merula isn’t it? That’s why you were both late this morning?”

“Um… yeah. So?”

“Merula. My ex, Merula…”

“Your… what?”

Jasmine looked over at Merula, who was staring intently at the blackboard in the front of the room.

“Merula’s your… ex? Like, you dated?”

“No.”

“Yes!” Tulip shot daggers at Merula.

“You kissed me. Once. That doesn’t make me your ex.”

Jasmine sat between the two witches, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.

“You bitch,” Tulip scowled.

“What’s she talking about?” Jasmine asked.

“Don’t worry about her, Jas, we were just messing around in Jacob’s hideout one day. It didn’t  _ mean  _ anything.”

“Didn’t  _ mean  _ anything!?”

That’s right. We’ve been through this. I don’t  _ like _ you that way. I never did.”

A tear spilled down Tulip’s cheek, she looked to Jasmine.

“I hope you’re happy.”

She grabbed her bag and stormed out of the classroom.

“Miss Karasu!” the professor called after her.

Jasmine looked over at Merula, she was gripping her quill so tightly that Jasmine thought it might snap in half at any moment.

Jasmine almost said something, but thought better of it. She turned back to the front of the class and let Merula sit in silence while she copied down the diagram Sinistra had been sketching out on the board.

* * *

####  _**Afternoon Free Period** _

* * *

After Astronomy, Jasmine followed Merula down the stairs and back into the first floor girl’s bathroom. 

Merula rushed straight for the sink and splashed herself with cold water. Jasmine watched her stand there gripping the rim of the basin, staring into her reflection in the mirror above.

“Merula…” She finally ventured.

“I hate her,” Merula spoke through clenched teeth.

“What… what happened? Between you?” Jasmine’s voice wavered, but she needed to understand.

Merula sighed and her grip on the basin softened, just a little.

“It started back in our first year. She let me borrow her toad to audition for the Frog Choir. I wanted my own of course, but my Aunt wouldn’t allow it.” She shook her head.

“Flitwick finally convinced her once Karasu and I… well. Back then, she and I, we started to hang out more and more. She was the only one in the school who was ever nice to me. Once we found out about the Cursed Vaults, it was like we had this secret club. We found your brother’s old research in his secret study, and we started to race against you to find each new vault.”

“I remember…”

“Yeah, well, everything was fine for a while. We would meet in secret in Jacob’s study, research the Cursed Vaults… After a couple of years I actually started to think we were friends.”

“And?”

“And then one day in third year, after the Christmas Feast, I met up with her in your brother’s room to give her back Dennis, that’s her toad… and she started going on about how beautiful my voice was and how much she’d always loved watching me sing. Then all of a sudden… she kissed me.” 

“Just like that?”

“She started hugging me, and then before I knew it, her lips were on mine. I barely even knew what was happening.”

“Oh… um, what did you do?”

“I… I just… let her. I was so confused. I just stood there.”

“And then what?”

“She… started to touch me, places. I pushed her off of me. She said she was sorry but… then she asked me if she could do it again. She said that I was the most brilliant witch at Hogwarts and that I made her feel like no one else had ever made her feel. I couldn’t understand it. I didn’t  _ want  _ to understand it.”

Merula shuddered.

“I told her to get lost, that I never wanted to see her again. She ran out of the room, but then I kept finding all of these little love notes tucked into my bag, or my desk. She was obsessed. One day I confronted her on it, she told me she would always love me, and she didn’t care how I felt. I said… some things… and I jinxed her. She started crying, but she didn’t write me any more notes after that.”

“Fuck…”

“Then a few weeks later, she started hanging out around you. I tried to warn you about her… but of course you wouldn’t listen to me.”

“I… I didn’t realise.”

“It’s not your fault. How could you have known the truth? There was no way I could come out about kissing girls back then.”

“It doesn’t really sound like  _ you  _ were kissing anyone…”

“Yeah… I guess not. Anyway, lucky for you it looks like she never got over me.” 

Jasmine frowned.

Merula stood up straight, finally breaking away from her reflection’s gaze. She turned to face Jasmine.

“You… you’re not angry with me are you?”

“For what…”

“For kissing her… before you I mean. For you not being my first…”

Jasmine placed her hands delicately on Merula’s hips.

“Did that kiss mean anything to you?”

“No…”

“Then it wasn’t your first. Not really.”

“Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

Jasmine pressed forward and planted a gentle peck on Merula’s lips.

“It feels different, doesn’t it.”

Merula blushed, the slightest smile parting her lips.

“Yes…”

“Then don’t worry about it. Let Karasu think what she wants about you, about us. She can’t change anything about what we have here. I promise.”

Just then, the door swung open and a crowd of third year girls burst in. Jasmine quickly let go of Merula and stepped back but the girls paid them no real attention, rushing to fill the empty toilet stalls one by one.

“Let’s get out of the bathroom, hey?” Jasmine said.

Merula nodded and the two of them made their way outside and into the Middle Courtyard.

Climbing up into the branches of the large oak tree, they soon escaped the view of any more curious students.

“Thank you Jasmine.”

“For what?”

“For… understanding me.”

Jasmine shuffled over on the branch they shared so that she could look Merula in the eyes.

“Of course.”

“I meant what I told you last night. No one has ever been nice to me here. I mean, sure Karasu tried. But she never really  _ cared _ about me the way you do. I think she loved the  _ idea _ of me more than anything I actually am.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault. And you’re not like that. You’re…” She paused, studying Jasmine’s eyes carefully.

“I’m what?”

Merula moved in closer and whispered in Jasmine’s ear.

“I really, really like you, Jasmine.”

Jasmine nudged against Merula’s cheek, nuzzled at her neck into the warmth of the scarf wrapped loosely around her throat.

“I really like you too.”

* * *

####  _**Detention** _

* * *

Jasmine slowly descended the stone steps toward the Hogwarts kitchens. She savoured the lingering taste of Merula’s lips. The smell of the damp oak leaves around them. The warmth of a hand that had found its way up under her blouse.

She sighed a breathy sigh before opening the door to her fifth night of her indefinite detention. Pitts, the house-elf in charge of managing the kitchen-staff assigned Jasmine to sandwich making duty that night. It was a welcome break from peeling potatoes. 

The new position at one of the kitchen’s central prep stations put her across from another student for once, a Gryffindor boy from her year. 

After about ten minutes of silent sandwich filling, the Gryffindor boy spoke up.

“You’re Jasmine, right? Chiara’s friend?”

“Um, yeah.”

“I’m Jae Kim.”

“Nice to meet you…” 

“Chiara and I were talking in Muggle Studies, she said you were going on a date.”

“Oh, did she?”

“I might have been a bit curious about you after I heard Snape reading out that note…”

Jae looked sheepish.

“Don’t hold it against her.”

“Okay. Well yes. I did have a date, last night.”

“Is that why you missed breakfast?”

“How do  _ you  _ know I missed breakfast?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

Merlin’s beard. The rumour mill worked quickly in this place.

“So who was it? Your date?”

At least that part of the story wasn’t common knowledge quite yet then. It was only a matter of time though.

“You ask a lot of questions, Jae Kim.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t usually get a chance to speak with anyone down here…”

“Are you down here often?”

“Only when I get caught,” Jae laughed.

“What was it you got caught doing?”

“Selling things. Nothing illegal. Just things that people want, things that aren’t so easy to get in a school.”

“Contraband?”

“I prefer the term ‘uncommon collectable’.”

“Okay, okay. Any cigarettes?”

“They’ll wreck your lungs you know.”

“There not for me, do you have any?”

“All out I’m afraid, sold my last pack yesterday. They’re not usually that big a seller. I can get some in next week if you’d like? Two sickles is the going rate.”

“No that’s okay. It’s not important.”

“Your date smokes, does he?”

“I think so.” 

“Well let me know anytime you change your mind.” 

Jasmine continued filling sandwiches and let the conversation lapse for a while.

“Hey, how come you don’t take Muggle Studies with us?”

“What, why?”

“Well Chiara says you practically live with muggles anyway, and it’s a dead easy class if you do. Professor Quirrell is a total pushover too, you can basically get away with anything in that class.”

“I just don’t really see the point of it. At least Ancient Runes might come in handy one day if I ever become a professional curse-breaker.”

“Oh shit, of course. You’re with Professor Rakepick aren’t you, her little curse-breaking squad.”

“Sure am.”

“Is it fun? It always seemed a bit dangerous to me.”

“Well it’s definitely dangerous. I don’t know if I’d call it fun. It’s my best chance of ever finding my brother though.”

“For sure, for sure. But would you actually want to do it as a career?”

“Um…” Jasmine thought for a moment. “I mean, it wouldn’t be too bad, I’ve gotten pretty good at it.”

“You’re ‘pretty good’ at quidditch too.”

Jasmine laughed.

“I’m serious!”

“You sound like Skye.”

“What, so you’re not hoping to become Wigtown’s next star Beater then?”

“I don’t know. Skye’s dad’s mentioned it to me a few times. I guess the option’s there, to try out at least. It’s a pretty competitive field.”

“Well I’m just saying, I’ve never seen you lose a match.”

“I think you're forgetting that the rest of the team does a lot of the work towards actually winning the matches.”

“Yeah, well… not if the bludgers get their way. I’m just saying… it’d be a damn waste to stick you in Gringotts for the rest of your life.”

“There are more curse-breaking jobs than just Gringotts you know.”

“Yeah, yeah… and there are more quidditch teams than just the Wigtown Wanderers.”

Jasmine chuckled to herself and packed another sandwich.

* * *

####  _**Dinner** _

* * *

Jasmine took a seat in the Great Hall beside Merula, across from her usual spot next to Rowan and Liz. 

“Back from the clutches of those wicked house-elves at last,” Merula teased. 

“At last.” Jasmine groaned.

Merula pushed the food around on her plate absentmindedly.

“It must be so awful down there.”

“It really is, you can barely move without tripping over a damned house-elf, not to mention the stink of them all.”

“Oh they do smell, don’t they. I can always tell when one’s been lurking around in my room.”

“They do lurk, right? Creeps me the fuck out. Back home I feel like they’re always watching me. I don’t like them one bit.”

“If we ever end up getting a place together, let’s not get an elf, deal?”

“Deal,” Jasmine grinned.

She reached across the table to fill her plate with sausages, peas and mashed potato. 

“Ro? Could you pass the gravy please?” She called across the table.

Rowan looked across at her then nodded, picking up the golden gravy boat and handing it across to her. 

“Thanks.”

Rowan let slip the faintest of smiles.

Jasmine stopped herself before she tore open fresh wounds once more. Best to leave him alone for a while at least.

“Hey Lizard?”

“What is it Jas? Do you want to hear the joke I made up about porlocks this morning?”

“Maybe later… I was just wondering… Do you reckon I’d have what it takes to make the Scottish Quidditch team one day?”

“Oh, wow, um… that seems like more of a question for Skye surely? Or Penny Haywood?”

“Maybe, but I already know what they’d say. I’m looking for a more honest opinion.”

”Oh, right. Well, honestly, I reckon you could probably do anything you put half a mind to, Jasmine. I mean, have you seen yourself lately? You’re incredible.”

Jasmine blushed. 

“She’s not wrong,” Merula murmured beside her.

Jasmine blushed harder. 

“Thanks guys.”

She looked across to Rowan, he was staring sullenly into his mashed potato. Feeling her eyes on him he looked up.

“I think you could do it. I think you’re brilliant Jasmine, Liz is right. I’m… I’m sorry I’ve been acting such a twat today. You must be feeling really awful the way everyone’s been talking about you, I should have been there for you.”

Jasmine’s heart warmed.

“It’s okay to be hurting Rowan. When I first realised that I couldn’t like you like that, it hurt me too. It took me a long time to come to terms with the way I feel. I can’t expect you to get over it all in one day.”

“But I should get over it. I should be better than this,” Rowan said sternly. 

“Merlin’s beard, you're fifteen. Cut yourself some slack.”

Jasmine looked across at Merula.

“She’s right. I don’t think you need to be Mr Perfect, Rowan. I just need you to be my friend.”

Rowan sat there for a moment, mulling things over in his head.

“I can do that,” he nodded. “Yeah, I can do that.” 

Jasmine smiled. 

“I’m with you too,” Liz added. “Both of you.”

Merula looked up from her hands, cocking her head to the side. 

“If… if you wanted, Merula.”

Merula looked over to Jasmine, then back to Liz and Rowan.

Rowan raised his eyebrows.

“Um… yeah, sure,” Merula said slowly. “I think I could be okay with that.”

* * *

####  **_Evening Free Period_ **

* * *

Jasmine and Merula walked through the doors to the Slytherin Common Room hand in hand. Rowan and Liz followed up close behind. Waiting for them on the other side was a mass of Slytherin students. 

The room, buzzing with activity, fell into a hushed quiet as the doors swung closed behind them.

At the bottom of the stone steps stoof their Head of House, Professor Snape. His hands were clasped firmly in front of his dark robes and he looked up at them expectantly, waiting for them to descend the steps toward him. 

Jasmine felt Merula’s fingers tighten against her own. Then the warmth of Rowan’s hand finding purchase on her shoulder. She swallowed hard. Slowly, she and the others made their way down to join the Professor at the foot of the stairs.

“Miss McKellar, Miss Snyde. Come with me.”

“But…”

“No buts, Mr Khanna.”

“But sir, what did they do?

“It is not a matter of what they have done, Mr Khanna, but of what has been done against them. Now, release Miss McKellar and resume your nightly activities. I assume you all have assignments you could be working on by now.” 

He had addressed the entire room with his last comment, causing a flurry of activity and mumbled ‘yes sir, sorry sir’s to erupt from the assembled onlookers.

Jasmine’s mind was a whir. ‘What has been done against them’? What did Snape mean?

As the professor moved towards them, Rowan and Liz stepped back and Merula’s hand slipped from Jasmine’s grasp. Snape walked straight through their little group and ascended the stairs at a brisk pace. Merula and Jasmine followed in his wake. 

Jasmine took one last look at the Slytherin Common Room as Snape pulled open one of the large wooden doors. She could swear she saw Ismelda staring back up at her with a wicked grin. 

She shivered and followed Merula and Snape out into the dungeon corridor.

Snape led the girls up through the castle in annoying silence, despite Merula’s protests and their incessant demands to know what was going on.

Eventually the trio came to a halt just outside of Professor McGonagall’s office. 

“You’re taking us to see Professor McGonagall?” Jasmine asked.

“I am taking you to see Deputy Headmistress McGonagall. As you well know the Headmaster is currently away on business. However it has been decided that the issue at hand is apparently more than I am capable of handling on my own.”

Jasmine cast a worried look to Merula while Snape rapped his knuckles against the door.

“You may enter,” McGonagall's Scottish brogue called in response.

Professor Snape opened the door and ushered the girls inside.

McGonagall’s office was small, but it featured a large fireplace that warmed the room. The professor herself was seated at her desk by the window, while Professor Rakepick stood by the fireplace beside the caretaker Argus Filch and his cat Mrs Norris. 

McGonnagall motioned silently for Jasmine and Merula to take a seat in the two red armchairs in the centre of the pokey room. Once they had, the assembled staff members appeared to loom over them menacingly. Jasmine looked between them anxiously.

“You told Rowan we weren't in trouble...” Jasmine started.

“I told Mr Khanna that this was not because of something you have done,” Snape reminded her. “Whether or not you are in trouble has yet to be determined.”

“Severus please.” McGonagall hushed the Potions Master.

“Now girls, I take it that you remain unaware as to the reason that we have brought you here?”

“Would somebody care to tell us at last?” Merula rolled her eyes.

McGonagall took a deep breath.

“Earlier this evening, it was brought to Professor Snape’s attention that a fire had broken out in the Slytherin dormitories. Upon his further examination, it became apparent that the location of said fire was, in fact, your bed, Miss McKellar.”

“My bed?” Jasmine exclaimed.

“As well as the bed of your companion here, Miss Snyde.”

“What?” Merula stiffened.

“It appears that your beds were intentionally vandalised, most likely through the use of the fire-making charm,  _ Incendio _ ” Professor Rakepick explained.

Jasmine broke out in a cold sweat. Or perhaps it was just the gathering heat in the packed study.

“What about our trunks?” she asked.

“Fortunately, as the charm was centred on the beds themselves, the rest of your possessions managed to escape the blaze relatively unharmed, albeit slightly singed.”

Jasmine looked up at Snape.

“It was Ismelda wasn’t it?”

Snape didn’t flinch.

“We are still conducting our investigation into the identity of those involved in starting the fire. However a girl from your dorm room would be the most likely culprit, and after your confrontation with her this afternoon, Ismelda Murk does place highly on our list of suspects.”

“Not to mention she’s a right headcase,” Merula muttered.

“What was that, Miss Snyde?” McGonagall gave her a stern look.

“Nothing Professor.”

Merula folded her arms in front of her.

“Good. Now, as I told you this morning, I do not wish to see your lives made miserable. Unfortunately, my advice to keep your sexuality under wraps was perhaps not well heeded, or…”

Jasmine and Merula both opened their mouths in protest, but McGonagall continued before they could voice their objections.

“Or else, simply arrived too late to halt the Hogwarts rumour mill.”

Jasmine nodded.

“So the question becomes, what can we do for you to ensure your safety moving forward?”

“I think we should lock them up,” Filch suggested.

“Thank you for your input Mr Filch, but please refrain from providing any further commentary.”

Jasmine and Merula looked across at each other.

“So, what  _ are  _ you going to do?”

“Well, as has been made clear to us tonight, the two of you are no longer safe within your dormitory. It is possible you may not be safe in any Slytherin dormitory...”

McGonagall looked to Professor Snape, who nodded.

“Therefore, Professor Rakepick has made the suggestion that we relocate the two of you to one of the Hogwarts guest suites here in the Great Tower until such time as we can assure that the dormitories are safe for you once more.”

“Sorry… was that ‘ _ one  _ of’, you said? You mean, we’ll be sharing a room?” Merula asked slowly.

“Unless the two of you would prefer otherwise?”

“No! Er, no…” Jasmine struggled to contain her outburst. “One room is fine.”

“Professor Rakepick has argued that together, the two of you stand more of a chance of defending yourself should any malicious forces seek you out. We cannot forget the fact that the two of you were attacked not that long ago by your bewitched fellow student, Ben Cooper. The added threat due to the public nature of your newfound relationship has only added to the danger you are in.”

“And outside of the walls of your common room, you  _ will _ be more exposed, should anyone attempt to do you harm,” Rakepick added.

Jasmine looked up at her, concerned.

“I believe the two of you are capable of defending each other if you can work together.”

“And  _ I _ trust that as Prefect, you will have no trouble ensuring that the two of you are dressed and ready for breakfast in the Great Hall by no later than seven forty-five each morning.”

Jasmine stared into McGonnagal’s cool blue eyes.

“Of course, Professor. Absolutely.”

“Then I see no reason not to allow it.”

“I…” Filch started.

“The girls are nearly sixteen Mr Filch. What they get up to behind closed doors is of no concern of yours. Provided that they continue to respect the rules and curfews which remain yours to enforce, and that they continue to uphold satisfactory academic results and levels of attendance to their classes, meals and ongoing commitments.”

The caretaker scowled, but remained quiet.

Jasmine could hardly believe it. The professors were really about to give her and Merula a room all to themselves. Any sour feelings about the torching of her bed left her mind as she started to imagine the possibilities that this new private suite would afford them.

Snape started to say something next but McGonagall cut him off.

“The safety of these young witches is paramount Severus. I can assure you that the Headmaster will agree with me once he returns. So unless you are volunteering to watch over one of the girls yourself, I believe that Professor Rakepick’s suggestion is, for now at least, the most practical solution.”

The room was silent for a brief moment. Jasmine could almost hear her heart pounding in her chest.

“So… that’s it?” Merula asked. “We’re free to go?”

“You may leave this office, Miss Snyde. But I must caution you; it is a dangerous time in this country to love in the way that the two of you do. I would ask you to remain on your guard, especially when amongst your peers in Slytherin House. Homosexuality is viewed by some pureblood fanatics as a distinctively muggle condition. This is of course complete nonsense, however, as you have already experienced, old friends may quickly turn to enemies now that your secret is out.” 

“Thank you Professor… Professors,” Jasmine said before hoisting herself out of the soft red armchair.

“Now, Mr Fitch, would you kindly escort the girls to their accomodation?”

Filch grumbled as McGonagall addressed the girls one last time.

“You’ll find your school trunks have already been moved to the Great Tower for you. Hopefully the house-elves will have seen fit to remove any ash residue.”

Merula curled her nose. And then the pair were heading back outside the door.

* * *

####  _**Light's Out** _

* * *

The corridors were cold after sitting by the warmth of McGonagall’s fire. Filch complained the entire way up the central stairway to the guest rooms on the seventh floor. He found particular satisfaction in reminiscing about all of the horrible ways in which Jasmine and Merula could have been punished for who they were ‘back in the good old days’. 

Jasmine scrunched up her face in disgust. She would have taken Snape as an escort over this. At least he had had the decency to keep his thoughts to himself so far. She looked over at Merula who offered up a weary roll of her violet eyes.

Eventually they arrived at the door to the suite where they would both be spending their nights for the foreseeable future.

Filch retrieved a ring of keys and selected one to turn in the door’s lock.Then he retrieved a copy of the key from his coat pocket and handed it to Jasmine. 

Jasmine took the key from his outstretched hand and pushed past him into the room beyond.

Merula followed her inside and pulled the door shut behind them.

“ _ Colloportus, _ ” she whispered and the door latched itself closed.

“ _ Lumos, _ ” Jasmine revealed the room before them in the pale light of her wand.

Merula quickly followed up with a candle-lighting charm which bathed the room in a much warmer glow. 

The freshly illuminated room contained two small beds, neatly made, and flush with the wall to their left. The wall opposite them curved with the shape of the tower and featured a decently sized bay window which afforded them a view of the black lake stretching out to the south beyond the castle grounds. 

A wooden desk was tucked into the corner on the right hand side of the curved wall beside a squat bookshelf packed with old textbooks and a collection of wizarding fiction. A straight-backed wooden chair was pushed up to the desk and two more were gathered around a small table by a wood burner to the right of the entrance.

Between the desk and the burner was another door which opened onto a tiled washroom. Further investigation revealed a basin, mirror and a toilet sequestered against the curved outer wall, and secluded against the room’s inner wall, a modest clawfoot bathtub.

No portraits hung on the walls within the suite, although there were several landscape paintings around the room and a thick set of red velvet curtains hung on either side of the window seat. 

“It ain’t much, but it’s home,” Jasmine joked.

“I call the first bath!” Merula slipped into the washroom and bolted the door behind her before Jasmine could speak.

“Hey!”

She could hear the sound of the bathtub filling up already. With nothing else to do, Jasmine took a walk around the room.

She found their trunks neatly stacked by the door. A slight trace of soot had caught in the seams, but they were otherwise impeccably well cleaned. Her own prejudices aside, the house-elves could certainly do a good job when put to work on something. 

She found Ember’s terrarium on a stand by the window beside Merula’s toad and opened the door, coaxing her tarantula out from where it had spent the day hiding within her robes.

“What a day,” Jasmine whispered to her eight-legged friend.

Jasmine lit a small fire in the wood burner to warm the room before nestling into the window seat. She looked out across the inky black lake, disappearing into the fading twilight. It was certainly a new perspective on the magnificent body of water compared to the view from the large windows in the Slytherin Common Room. Sitting back she closed her eyes, wondering when she might next set foot in the rooms downstairs.

Jasmine woke with a start as the bolt on the bathroom door slid back and Merula walked back into the room.

Merula stood wrapped in a large burgundy towel, her legs dripping onto the soft woolen textile which covered the hardwood floor. She looked across at the crackling fire and smiled.

“Thanks.”

“How was it?”

“I’ve had better.”

The girls both chuckled.

“My turn then?”

“It’s all yours.”

Jasmine grabbed her toiletries from her trunk before locking herself away in the small washroom. She freshened up in front of the mirror before carefully sliding a foot into the still-hot bath water.

As Jasmine let the water envelop her cold skin, a wave of tingling relief shot through her. She took a deep breath and dunked her head beneath the surface, letting her long brown hair float up around her she lay suspended underwater. Merula was right, it was no Prefect’s bathroom, but it was a damn sight better than the Slytherin showers.

When Jasmine rejoined Merula, she was perched by the window reading one of the novels from the bookshelf. As Jasmine made her way towards her though she snapped the book shut and threw it against the cushions across from her.

Getting to her feet, she joined Jasmine in the middle of the room.

She was dressed in a set of dark green flannel pyjamas and her hair was freshly dried and fluffy atop her angular face.

“I think that might actually have been the cutest sight I’ve ever seen,” Jasmine grinned.

Merula went red.

“You’ve clearly never seen a puffskein,” she recovered.

“I think I just have,” Jasmine countered, tussling Merula’s mop of soft hair.

“Fuck off!” Merula swatted at Jasmine’s arms but her eyes were alight and she was smiling as she said it.

Jasmine reached up to Merula’s sides and started tickling at her ribs, forcing her to clench her arms down to her sides to protect herself. She went again for Merula’s hair but she dodged aside this time and grabbed Jasmine by the front of her towel, jerking it away from her and leaving her naked and exposed. 

Merula assumed a wrestler’s stance and slapped at Jasmine’s thigh, connecting with Jasmine’s damp skin with a loud crack.

“Ow!” Jasmine yelled and grabbed at Merula’s arms.

Merula twisted free through and lunged back toward the window seat.

Too late, Jasmine realised what she was reaching for and Merula spun around to face her with her wand at the ready. 

“ _ Incarcerous, _ ” she cried, sending a thick stream of ropes from the tip of her wand to bind Jasmine’s arms and chest in a flash of orange light.

Jasmine fell back onto the rug covered floor and struggled to right herself as Merula burst out laughing. She kicked out and rocked from side to side as she heard Merula’s soft footfalls growing closer. 

Merula knelt beside her, grinning from ear to ear.

“Now this is a lot more fun than practicing on Bill Weasley.”

“I… these ropes are really tight, Mer.” 

“I know. Don’t worry, they shouldn’t be lethal, at least, not if I cast it right.”

“What?” Jasmine choked.

“I’m joking! You think I’d mess up something as simple as a binding spell.”

“Incarcerous is N.E.W.T. level conjuration magic...Rakepick said...”

“Rakepick also said that I was the fastest witch she’d ever seen master it. But you would know that if you’d come to train with us.”

“Of course, you were too busy thinking about how much you wanted this,” Merula stood and pulled down the front of her flannel pyjama bottoms to flash Jasmine her bush.

Jasmine strained against the rope binding her as Merula spun around and laughed at her.

“I’ve got a much better view than on Saturday too,” Merula mused, surveying Jasmine’s naked and writhing body, sprawled out at her feet. 

“Merula…”

Merula sat down beside Jasmine’s hips and ran her fingers up her leg.

Jasmine stilled her struggling as a rush of excitement filled her. She let out a quiet whimper between her shallow breaths.

“That’s better, good girl,” Merula grinned down at her.

Jasmine’s heart skipped a beat at Merula’s gentle cooing, despite nearly every fibre in her body aching to spring up and pin her to the ground herself.

Merula slipped her fingers between Jasmine’s legs and slid them up and down across her lips. 

Jasmine squirmed slightly and spread her legs wider to help accommodate for her lover’s adventurous hand.

She moaned as Merula’s fingers pressed down on the space just above her clit and rubbed her in small circles.

“Fuck…” she let out.

Merula stopped and resumed her long, lingering strokes. Up and down. Jasmine pushed her hips up, trying to eke out something more.

Suddenly, Merula’s fingers curled back and she started to tickle at the sensitive skin between Jasmine’s legs.

Jasmine gasped and arched her back against the rope bindings. Completely at the mercy of Merula’s fingertips she shivered and quaked at her relentless small movements.

“Ahh, ahhh,” she cried. It hurt to laugh so hard against the confines of her conjured cage but she soon fell into a fit of painful histarics as Merula’s fingers danced across her belly, her thighs and her delicate cunt.

“Stop, stop, stop,” she wheezed. “No more, no more, please.” 

Merula’s fingers slowed their pace, gliding once more up and over her hood before slinking back away from her skin entirely. She stood slowly.

“I suppose you’re right. We should probably head to bed soon if we’re going to make it down to breakfast on time.” 

With a flick of her wand, Merula cast a counter-curse and released the binding around Jasmine’s chest. The skin beneath was bright red, the imprint of where the tight ropes had dug into her soft flesh. 

Jasmine rolled over and pushed herself up off the floor. She winced as she stretched up and loosened the muscles of her arms and torso.

“I might have gotten a little carried away.”

“It wasn’t… not good.”

Merula smiled and wrapped an arm around Jasmine’s waist. Jasmine leaned in against the softness of her flannel pyjamas, it felt good after the harsh hemp of the conjured ropes.

The pair turned toward the twin beds and Jasmine frowned.

“Hmm,” Merula raised her wand again and pointed it at the bed on the left.

“ _ Engorgio. _ ”

The bed immediately swelled to twice its size, pushing the bed on the right across the floor and against the tower’s outer wall.

Jasmine stepped back and grinned at the other witch. Merula grinned back and clambered up the side of the bed to sit atop the enlarged mattress.

“Well come on then.”

Merula started unbuttoning her shirt and Jasmine smiled as she climbed up onto the bed beside her. Merula paused to kiss her before removing her shirt completely. 

Unable to hold herself back any longer Jasmine pushed Merula down against the bed and pulled off the rest of her sleepwear.

Merula shuffled up to the head of the bed and slid down beneath the covers. She bit her lip as Jasmine settled down beside her. Jasmine felt the heat of Merula’s skin pressed against her own. They turned to face each other and Jasmine placed her hand on Merula’s waist.

“I’m sorry I dragged you into all this, Mer.”

Merula looked puzzled.

“You didn’t drag me anywhere, Jas.” Merula moved up and kissed Jasmine on the forehead.

“This is where I always wanted to be.”


End file.
